Frightening
by Secret-Pass-Time
Summary: The mews make idle conversation...about which alien is the scariest and all agree on Pai. Except Ichigo.
1. Chapter 1

Five girls sat in a changing room waiting for their jobs to begin but with half an hour to spare, they made idle conversation.

"Pudding wonders what the aliens do in their spare time!" The youngest shouted out.

"What does it matter?" Mint said, elegantly crossing one leg over the other. "Probably eat the souls of innocent puppies." Pudding looked alarmed.

"Taru-taru wouldn't do that! Neither would...well...perhaps Pai would..." Pudding shouted.

"You have to agree Pai's the most terrifying of the aliens." Three of the girls nodded at Mint's statement, everyone but Ichigo. "Oh, you're not scared of Pai, Ichigo? How brave you must be." Mint sarcastically rolled her head to the side and touched her cheek in false admiration.

"I'm scared of him, I just don't think he's the most terrifying." The girls seemed taken aback at Ichigo's confession.

"Well, rabid small children with huge ears can be pretty frightening too..."

"I wasn't talki-" She was cut off as Ryou burst in.

"We're opening early, there's a line waiting to get in." Ichigo put the conversation to the back of her mind as she began the relentless task of keeping everything running smoothly with Mint doing nothing, Lettuce breaking things, Pudding being...Pudding, and Zakuro being mildly terrifying to customers. As usual, nothing exciting happened and she had almost forgotten the conversation, but still it stuck in her mind. It was true that Pai and Taruto were frightening but honestly, it was Kisshu that terrified her.

"Ichigo." Keiichiro called her as she swept the floor. She went to him and followed him into the kitchen where Ryou and the other mews stood. "I'm sorry for this Ichigo, but you've seemed very distracted today and I-"

"More distracted than usual." Ryou cut in. Keiichiro looked at him while Ichigo glared at him.

"I asked the girls if anything was bothering you and they happened to mention a certain conversation from this morning."

"What? The silly conversation we had about the aliens? It's nothing! I'm fine! I was just thinking about...uh...cake! I was going to take one home to my mother!"

"And that has distracted you the entire day? Ichigo, I can understand that you'd be frightened of the aliens but you needn't be. You are a mew mew, and a powerful girl. They wouldn't consider trying anything stupid, and if they did, you'd easily be able to beat them as you have done so many times." Ichigo had taken to looking down at her apron.

"I can't help it. It's just because of my...first experience with Kisshu." Keiichiro looked concerned while the other mews seemed interested, never having been told this story.

"Ichigo, would you like to tell us what happened?" Ichigo shook her head wildly. "Will you tell me what happened?" Ichigo bit her lip and nodded as he waved everyone out of the kitchen and turned back to her.

"Well... I was just walking home then Masha started going on about aliens but I couldn't see any, then, next thing I know, Kisshu's in front of me then he...kissed me." Keiichiro's face contorted into a vague expression of rage covered by a comforting one. "I know it's silly, it's just because it was my first kiss and I hadn't even noticed him. If not for Masha..." Keiichiro put his hand on her shoulder.

"But that is why you have him. To help protect you. And as for Kisshu, I doubt Pai will put up with him doing things like that. In the mean time, I'm sure Ryou won't mind walking you home."

"Whaaa? No, no, no. If my dad sees me with him, or what about Aoyama?!"

"If it is for your safety, I'm sure he would understand. And a simple explanation that you and he are friends would calm your father."

"But we're not friends! I don't like him and as far as I know, he hates me. No, I'm just being silly, I'm fine honestly!" Keiichiro kept eye contact with her, searching for any sign she was lieing and when he was sure she wasn't, he nodded."

"Alright, but the next time you feel unsafe, I'd like you to just run back here." Ichigo nodded and left the kitchen to the cafe and into the changing room. where four pairs of eyes watched her, three pairs concerned, one pair suspicious.

"So, Ichigo, what exactly happened with Kisshu you don't want to tell us?" Mint asked.

"Nothing!" Ichigo took her clothing from the locker and waited until everyone had left the room before getting changed and leaving the room, making a mad dash to the door before Keiichiro could put his little idea into motion. She felt a brief rush of relief when she had managed to get out and lock the door then she felt the usual uneasiness as she walked, clasping her bag tightly, other hand in her pocket wrapped around her pendant. Her pace quickened to a slight run as she got to an empty path, trees lurking over her, it would be so easy to hide there. Anyone could be hiding. Anyone. Her tail and ears were out already, fur on her tail standing on end as well as the hairs on the back of her neck. She searched the space around her as she walked.

"Ichigo!" She spun around, pendant out, ready for transformation as a head of blonde hair came into view. "You idiot. Why did you ignore me?!" Ryou shouted out angrily at her, not yet noticing the fear in her eyes or the tail wrapped tightly around her thigh.

"I- I didn't hear you..." He came towards her, only now noticing the fur on her tail.

"Keiichiro told me." Ichigo covered her face, bright red with the embarrassment of having someone like Ryou know something like that.

"I told him I was fine!"

"Judging by your tail, I'm guessing you're not." She grabbed her tail and tried to forcibly push the fur down to it's usual position. "Come on." He grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her along the road.

When they got to Ichigo's house, Ryou just gave a little nod and left.

"Ryou!" He turned to her. "Thanks. And please don't tell the girls."

"About what?"

"You walking me home, me being scared, Kisshu."

"What about Kisshu?" He spat the aliens name.

"Keiichiro didn't tell you about the first time I...met Kisshu?" She blushed slightly. He shook his head. "Do you _want_ to know?"

"I must admit I'm curious." She waved him over until he was withing inches of her then she whispered to him.

"He kissed me." When she looked up, Ryou looked beyond horrified.

"Did you...?" Ichigo's face went strawberry red again.

"No! No! Of course not!" Ryou nodded.

"I assume this is to be kept from the girls too?" Ichigo nodded and Ryou mirrored her action as he turned to leave, this time getting away. She quickly turned and unlocked the door, sprinting in and closing then locking the door behind her. Only not noticing the note on the back of the door.

_Have gone to hotel for two weeks, food in freezer, money on table, no boys._

The first part was all in her mothers tidy script then the last two words were scrawled carelessly on the page, her father's handwriting. She smiled slightly. She knew they were going to be gone, but still they left a note. She folded it and put it on the living room table beside the pile of unneeded money and made her way to the kitchen grabbing a can of juice then running up the stairs to her bedroom and closing the door.

Next, she place a chair in front of the door and sat on the bed. The chair in front of the door had become a habit of hers. It provided reassurance that no-one could get in that way. She sipped at the juice before noticing the window open a few inches. She put her juice down and walked to the window. She scanned around it then shut it. Next, she closed the curtains and pinned them shut with a hair clip. She looked around her room, then, satisfied with her work, she sat on her bed and sipped at her drink idly flicking through a magazine, attempting to rid herself of the feeling someone was watching her.

'Perhaps I should call Lettuce, make sure she got home alright' she said to herself. She knew she really just wanted someone to talk to, but she gave herself an excuse of looking after a friend. Lettuce answered on the second ring.

"Oh, Sorry, Ichigo, I'm having dinner soon then I'm going to bed early! Sorry!"

"Oh, alright, I just wanted to make sure you were OK." Both girls knew her reasons for calling but neither mentioned it. After their goodbyes, Lettuce hung up but Ichigo kept her phone open, willing someone to call her, ask to come stay over and stay awake with her all night. She got changed into her pyjamas at a ridiculously fast pace then dove into her bed, keeping her phone clasped firmly in her hand under her pillow. She managed to almost fall asleep, eyes closing, muscles relaxing, tail and ears gone as her heart slowed to a relaxed pace. She'd curled up into a little ball, pillows, blankets and her duvet cocooning her, just ready to fall into a wonderful little dream, then Masha expanded to full size shouting his little heart shaped head off.

"Alien! Alien!" Ichigo was wide awake right away, face pale, ears and tail out, pendant in hand.

"Where is he Masha?"

"Inside! Inside!" Ichigo's eyes widened as she began shaking. The house was deadly silent. Ever so slowly, she crawled out of bed and padded to the door, removing the chair and leaving her room. She walked down the hall, poking her head into each room, went down stairs and checked there, all the time, Masha held tightly to her chest. There was only one door left, the living room. She stared at the door for a good twenty minutes, begging any God who would listen that it would be Taruto behind it or that Masha had a glitch or an error. Finally, she turned the handle and opened the door quickly. Tears filled her eyes at the sight of Kisshu sprawled out on her couch.

"So, I heard your little conversation today. The one with your dark haired boss."


	2. Chapter 2

_ Finally, she turned the handle and opened the door quickly. Tears filled her eyes at the sight of Kisshu sprawled out on her couch._

_"So, I heard your little conversation today. The one with your dark haired boss."_

Ichigo froze, her mind telling her to transform into mew Ichigo and attack, her cat DNA screaming out at her to hiss and attack but her human mind was letting her down, leaving her a shaking statue, tears beginning to fall. He stood from his spot on the couch and strode to a foot away from her. He gave a little smile.

"Didn't know my little kiss had that much of an effect on you." He made a move to touch her face but he was interrupted when the front door flew open to reveal the mews, all transformed and ready to attack, and Ryou. The four ran past Ichigo at Kisshu, him dumbfounded and unprepared As they attacked, Ryou grabbed Ichigo,s trembling hand and pulled her from the house to a red car, she had no time to take in what kind before she was sat next to Ryou in the back seat.

"We received a signal from Masha that an alien was close by and when we didn't receive one for your transformation, we came over." Ichigo held Masha tighter against her chest as more tears escaped and the moment her face was buried in the pink robot's fur, she let out a little sob. A hand rubbed her upper back as she wept, then minutes later, four voices were bombarding her with questions. She just shook her head.

"I think perhaps Ichigo should stay at the cafe with us tonight." Akasaka said softly, looking over his shoulder at the crying girl from his spot in the drivers' seat.

"Pudding will stay with Ichigo! Like a sleepover!" Then, the small girl leapt into the car, still in mew form, and hugged Ichigo tightly around her shoulders.

"I'll stay too, if that's alright." Lettuce hesitantly added.

"I'm quite happy to stay as well." Zakuro said, casting a worried glance at the shaking red head.

"I'll only be dragged into this anyway, I'll stay too." Minto added, pointing her nose to the sky.

"Good, everyone go home and pick up your things. We'll go and set up the sleeping arrangements." Akasaka ordered. The moment the car doors were closed and the girls faces were no longer peeking in, Ryou pulled Ichigo closer so her head lay on his shoulder.

"Everything's going to be fine, Ichigo. You'll have this little sleepover then tomorrow, we can set up some long term arrangements. Sound good?" Akasaka asked, false optimism and smiles perfectly obvious. But at that moment in time, Ichigo nodded.

* * *

The girls lay in a circle on a huge multitude of cushions, blankets and pillows , all in pyjamas, on the floor of the cafe, telling silly little stories, laughing, eating from the pile of sweets that hadn't been sold that day. Ichigo knew she should have been happy, should have been relaxed, but she wasn't. She tried to look interested, laugh at the right times, offer comfort at the right points in the stories, but she knew she seemed off. It was no wonder. She was frightened, terrified of what could happen once the lights were off, how easy it would be to kidnap her, or even kill her while she slept and who might appear.

Any moment, she felt someone might burst through the door and-

"Is everyone just going to dance around the subject?" Mint's voice cut through her train of thought as she looked up with blurry eyes at the four girls staring at her. "Seriously, Ichigo. It's just Kisshu. Is it him your scared of? You've fought him before and won. What was so different about tonight?!" A sudden blare of anger shot through Ichigo.

"Yes! Yes, it's him I'm most frightened of, and the big difference between tonight and any other time? There was always someone else there! I've never had to be alone with him!"

"So why him?! Why not Pai like the rest of us?!" Mint retaliated.

"Because he kissed me!" Ichigo screamed, on her feet now. It was when the girl's faces changed that Ichigo clasped her hand over her mouth, shocked she had said what she had.

"He _kissed _you?" Mint asked, apparently angry. "Why?"

"I don't know. I was just walking then Masha started going crazy, next thing I know, he's kissing me. I don't know why it's left me like this, I think it's just the knowledge that he found it so easy to get close enough. Or maybe because it was my first one ever."

"Kisshu took your first kiss..." Lettuce repeated, disbelievingly.

Ichigo knelt down on the huge makeshift bed praying they would drop the subject. Of course they didn't.

"But seriously, Ichigo. Crying at the sight of him?" Ichigo glared at Mint and then flopped down on her stomach and closed her eyes. "Lettuce, go turn off the lights." Ichigo tensed up but did nothing as they were plunged into darkness. She heard Lettuce stumble her way back to the makeshift bed and trip, landing next to her. A comforting arm was draped over her back and she opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust, and was met by a little smile on Lettuce's face. Both girls let their eyes slide closed and their minds enter unconsciousness.

* * *

"Ichigo..." Someone was nearby, male, their hand on her shoulder. She panicked, immediately gaining full conciousness and leaping away from the person, backing away as much as possible before she registered who it was. Akasaka. She let out a deep breath and stood up, blushing deeply.

"My apologies for startling you, I only wanted to get you up so you could eat something." She nodded and took the plate he handed her, eating it without paying any attention to what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

Ichigo lay in her bed, wide awake and shaking with fear, it was only seven but she'd nothing else to do. She couldn't make the girls stay in cafe mew mew every night for the rest of her life, and she didn't want to be alone in somewhere unfamiliar, so home it was. She licked her lips and closed her eyes tight, holding Masha like a lifeline. He made cute little purring sounds he had apparently heard from her. As she began to relax and drift off, Masha suddenly piped up.

"Alien! Alien!" Once again, Ichigo was wide awake, practically in tears. She grabbed her pendant and sat perfectly still for a moment, not daring to breathe. It wasn't until she heard a kitchen cupboard shut, then another, then another, and then all the drawers, that she finally moved. She silenced Masha with a finger to her lips. Then, she slinked through her house, allowing her cat genes to take over. She crawled down the hall, down the stairs and to the kitchen door which lay slightly open. She peeked through to see a sight that shocked her. Kisshu stood in the kitchen cooking. The scent was enough to tell her it was fish as she struggled to reign in her cat instincts to attack Kisshu and take the fish, but she succeeded She made her way silently bck to her room.

What is he up to? Cooking? Don't they have food on their ship? And ways to cook it?

'What do I do?!" She wondered to herself. 'Perhaps if I pretend to sleep, he'll just leave.' She lay down, every creak of the bed seeming two hundred times louder than usual, and listened. That delicious aroma filled the house as she heard footsteps. She tried to shut her eyes, but survival instincts told her to stay awake and alert as she eye balled the door. Her breathing hitched when He appeared there. Yet he didn't look so menacing when he was carrying a tray full of fish, a glass of milk and a little vase with a single pink rose.

"I have to say, Kitten, I thought I'd have been attacked by now." She watched him as he came closer. SHe sat up and backed into the corner of her bed, back pushed against the wall. Surprise overcame her as the tray was put before her. She looked at Kisshu in confusion.

"You didn't eat today. And I wanted to see you." He strolled to the other sided of her room and sat on the ground. She kept her eyes on him as she ate, slowly becoming more relaxed and a slight purr rumbling from her chest. Once she was finished he stood, took the tray and teleported away then back again.

"W-What did you w-want to see me for?" She asked quietly.

"You seemed so terrified. I'd never seen you like that before. I wanted to ask why."

"Why? Why am I scared of you? Because I was alone with the guy who stole my first kiss before I could even realise he was there. Because I don't like being alone with you." She whispered out, not daring to look at him.

"Well, you know what they say..." She looked up at him, his devious smirk, a single white fang peeking out of his lips.

"What?" She asked uncertainly.

"Face your fears." Then he grabbed her hand gently and teleported.


	4. Chapter 4

Ichigo was dragged from her bedroom by an invisible force, something propelling her through a tunnel. Kisshu grinned as she held onto his wrist with a death grip. There was an immense pressure over her body, something similar to pain, then it was gone. No pressure, no pain, no force. Slowly,she opened her eyes to see a bland grey room. Bottles of who knows what lined the walls while test tubes and over complicated contraptions covered every surface on the room.

"It was the first place I thought of." she turned to the smirking alien before rapidly letting go of his wrist.

"Where have you brought me?!"

Something in his smirk told her exactly what she needed to know. It hit her like a tonne of bricks and she gasped as realisation dawned on her.

"Our ship." her hand flew to her mouth as she stifled a scream. "Now, now, kitten. I just want to show you how much I love you. Will you let me?"

He attempted to take her hand from her mouth but she jerked away. He simply smirked again, taking it as a challenge. Next thing she knew, she'd been scooped up over his shoulder, only able to see the back of his legs. Immediately, she sprang to life, kicking and shouting at him to let her down.

"Well, I was just going to guide you to your room but you didn't seem... cooperative." As he talked, he began strolling idly towards an arch leading to a hallway.

After a good ten minutes of walking, Ichigo had stopped struggling in favour of whimpering while holding her skirt in place with one arm, using the other to hold onto Kisshu in order to not fall directly onto the ground face first.

"Didnt think you were serious." Ichigo felt panic rise again as Taruto's voice rung through the corridor.

"When do I ever joke about this sort of thing?" By the tone of his voice, Ichigo knew he was smirking. "Well, kitten?" She shivered slightly as he addressed her.

"Can you put me down now?" Kisshu was startled by the tone of her voice. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Taruto quickly decided that this wasn't a situation he particularly wanted to see play out, so he teleported away.

He put her down onto her own two feet and she kept her back turned to him until he began walking again. She walked behind him, rubbing at her eyes every now and again.

"This one's yours." he opened a door and held a hand towards it, gesturing for her to go in. She nervously went in, knotting her hands together over and over, keeping her eyes on Kisshu as he followed her.

The room was highly decorated in silver and dark pink with a little touch of red every here and there.

"Pai and Taruto know you're here. just in case you're wondering." She nodded slightly before going to sit on the bed.

"Me, Taruto and Pai all eat in the dining room. I'll come and get you just before I go so you have time to freshen up and do whatever girls do. The wardrobe's full and a the bathroom's just through there." He gave a little wave before exiting the room.

Ichigo threw her face into a pillow and let out a muffled scream before her body went slack. Dinner with the aliens. She almost laughed at that. It sounded like the name of a bad sci fi movie. She stood up again and made her way to the rather grand bathroom. She washed her face and after a while of searching, she found a hairbrush and brushed out her hair.

Suddenly aware of the fact she was wearing a night dress, she nervously looked through the wardrobe. Everything looked alien and strange to her as she frantically looked for something, _anything,_ that was familiar. Then she came across a simple black dress, similar to her mew mew outfit other than the lace ribbon around its waist and the huge bow at the back. Never the less, she stripped off her nightdress and put on this new dress along with a pair of black heels. There wasn't much variation shoe wise. And judging by the clothing, it became obvious that Kisshu had chosen them. Short skirts and strapless bodices littered the wardrobe. Ichigo shook her head and walked to the vanity on the other side of the room. There, a little black box sat directly infront of her with a white sheet of paper on top of it with two words written on it. Wear me! She opened it, not wanting to start an argument, and gasped at its contents. a choker style necklace, drenched in diamonds. She watched herself in the mirror as she put it on.

"Like it?" Kisshu appeared by her side. She shrunk away slightly as she nodded. "You look beautiful." She blushed and he grinned. He put his hand on her waist, just above the bow on the back of her dress, and guided her towards the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Ichigo sat at one side of a large rectangle table next to Kisshu while Taruto and Pai eyed her, unsure of having a mew mew present. Having already eaten, she sipped from the glass infront of her. She was 99% sure it was wine and 1% it was poison. The room was awkwardly silent as she stared at the dark red liquid in the glass she held. Then, there was a little snicker and a loud, metalic screach. The suddenness of the sound left Ichigo hissing with her cat ears and tail out. Taruto burst into uncontrollable laughter, Kisshu seemed amused and Pai just stared at her with a calculating expression. Suddenly aware of her position leaned over the table with her hands mimicking cats paws. Ichigos eyes went wide before she relaxed and slumped into her chair again.

"Care to explain?" Pai was looking at her, one eyebrow raised when she looked up.

"Uuh... well...it's the cat genes. I- I'm sorry."

"I intend to study this further. You will wait until after this meal and accompany me to my lab where I will examine you." With no other option, She simply nodded.

"I'm coming too." Kisshu suddenly stated.

"So long as you stay out of my way, I couldn't care less." Pai said as he ate another mouth full.

Ichigo gave a little shiver as Kisshu scooted closer and draped an arm over the back of her chair. This didn't go unnoticed by the three aliens but the only reaction Ichigo was aware of was Taruto scoffing at her. She sipped at the drink before her again until they had finished, then Taruto left, mumbling something about stupid mews and Pai teleported out at the same time as Kisshu who brought Ichigo with him.

"Lie down." Pai instructed to Ichigo, gesturing to a metal table. She followed his orders but was taken by surprise when he fixed her to the table using black straps. One on each wrist, one on each ankle and one across her forehead and waist, then he walked away, apparently to gather a few items.

"Are the straps really necessary?" Kisshu shifted uneasily.

"Yes. If you have any objections, Kisshu, I'd rather you left." He didnt leave, he simply moved closer to Ichigo and ran his finger across her cheek, catching a tear. He sat on the table beside her and took her hand, unsure of what exactly to say.

"Whats going on?" She whimpered

"Pai is over doing it. Its just a few small tests." For a moment, Ichigo was almost reassured, then she saw Pai. A small blade in one hand and a small piece of glass in the other. He gave a little nod to Kisshu who moved to stand by Ichigo's legs, one hand still holding hers. She tried to jerk her arm away as Pai lowered the blade to her forearm, but it was held tightly. More tears escaped as the blade was pressed into her skin to make a cut. As soon as the blood welled out, Pai captured some on the piece of glass and left for a moment. Kisshu gave what he imagined to be a reassuring squeeze of her hand, but given her feeling of terror at his presence, it did her no good.

"It'll only be a few more. Then you can go to your room or something, okay?" Ichigo gave a little nod, the gesture constricted by the strap over her forehead.

"When can I go home?"

"I'm not sure." She closed her eyes again as Pai approached holding a small machine connected by a wire to a small circle. It reminded her of the little sticky things patients had on their chest while in hospital. Pai fixed it to her wrist, it immediately began a steady beeping in time with her heart, then left again only to return with a pair of tweezers and three small boxes. Wordlessly, he plucked a hair from her head and put it in one of the boxes, sealing it and placing it on the table.

"Now, show your cat features." He ordered.

"I- I can't. It happens unintentionally." Pai's eyes narrowed. "Whenever my heartbeat gets faster, they pop out." She threw he words out, flying through them in a rushed explanation.

"Bet I could get your heartbeat faster." Kisshu smirked. Blood rushed to Ichigo's face and the steady beeping of the small machine escalated as her cat ears and tail appeared. Pai immediately plucked a piece of fur from one of her ears and one from her tail after he managed to pin it to the table.

"Your welcome, Pai!" Kisshu grinned at his elder.

"Thank you for your inappropriate input, Kisshu. However, next time, you would do well to keep your mouth shut." Kisshu just shrugged and went to work undoing the black straps over Ichigo and removing the small circle and wrapping a thin bandage around her arm.

"I will study these samples and when I have finished, I may need more." Ichigo nodded but it was unclear whether he noticed or not as he began organizing bottles. Kisshu took both of Ichigo's hands and pulled her up to standing position then walked her out of the room.

"Sorry about that. How's your arm?" She looked up at him.

"It kind of hurts. And thanks for that. In there."

"No problem. Just speeding things up. I'll check your arm tomorrow but it wasn't a deep cut, it'll be fine in an hour or so." She nodded uncomfortably. When they arrived at her room on the ship, Kisshu held the door open for her and followed her inside again. She sat on the bed and he sat on a chair nearby.

"Do you have everything you need?" He asked, obviously attempting to start up a conversation.

"I could do with some pyjamas."

"Oh, right, ok. Gimme a sec." He teleported away. Ichigo bit her lip. She had expected him to take her home to grab her own stuff, but if the clothing he had picked was any indication, she could only imagine what he would appear with.

* * *

Kisshu strolled down the corridor, hands full of black, white, pink and red satin and lace before Taruto appeared.

"Hey Kish-" He stopped short, looking at the pile in Kisshu's hands. "What's that?"

"Stuff for Kitten." Kisshu smiled.

"She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she just doesn't know it yet" He still smiled.

"You're so weird."

"Don't care." He pushed Taruto out of the way with one foot then continued walking and let himself into Ichigo's room.


	6. Chapter 6

Ichigo lay in an unfamiliar bed, the dark red satin rubbing uncomfortably against her exposed arms and legs. Somehow, the bed was too soft, too warm, too constricting. She kicked the covers off of her only to be rewarded with the cool air hitting her exposed flesh and she cursed Kisshu for his taste in nightwear - if the scrap of white satin she was wearing could be called that- and for kidnapping her. She pulled the covers up to her hips but that was uncomfortable as well. She kicked them off again and rolled onto her side but that left her face half buried in the excessive amount of pillows. She threw a few off the bed but then her head was too low down. She rolled onto her stomach but her hair kept getting in her face.

"Can you please shut up?" Taruto suddenly appeared in the room. "Some of us are trying to sleep. You should give it a try."

"Thats what I'm trying to do!" Ichigo grumbled. "Besides, I should be at home, with my familiar bed and comfy pillows and actual pyjamas!" She added, throwing herself up onto her knees on the bed.

"Well, hey, good for you, but for now, you're stuck here so you better start being good or el-"

"Taruto!" Kisshu teleported in. He glared at the younger alien before he left Kisshu and Ichigo alone.

"Kitten?" Tears erupted from her eyes in floods as she sunk down to lie on her stomach again, vaguely aware of the hand on hers and the other on her shoulder.

"Perhaps you should stay in my room tonight." Ichigo had no time to process what he meant before she was in his arms curled up into another bed, an emerald green blanket draped over her and a pair of arms around her.

"Kisshu, what are you doing?" she asked in despair.

"Attempting to comfort you." he said bluntly. "Try to relax, honey." For a while, she put up a halfhearted fight, pushing him away, rolling onto her other side, smacking his hands away, but some point in her fight, she fell asleep.

She woke up several times that night, more often than not terrified by the proximity of her and the alien boy then terrified once more by the fact that Kisshu would stir. This time, she wasnt frightened but she also knew that there was no chance of getting back to sleep so she lay still. She'd woken up curled up into Kisshu's stomach and in her sleepy daze, decided she'd simply lay there. As she lay there, she thought.

It must be morning by now. Cafe mew mew must be open by now. Would they think much of her not being there? Would they assume she was just late as usual? Would they look for her? Fine her? Why was Kisshu being so nice? Was he smiling? Was he awake?

She noticed the grin on his face and the slight giggles rumbling through his chest.

"Kisshu?" No response.

"Are you awake?" Nothing. Another giggle and a bigger smile. He was _giggling _in his sleep. How very intimidating. She smiled a little as another smile graced his lips, so much sweeter than his usual smirk. Then, his giggles stopped as he stirred, still smiling as his eyes opened.

"Hey, kitten." She was still smiling from his admittedly adorable sleep giggling. "What?"

"You. You were giggling in your sleep!" Light pink coved his cheeks.

"Silent every night except the night you're beside me. Of course." He muttered. "How about breakfast?" She nodded and untangled herself from him. Then, she pulled back the blanket and was faced with another awkward position.

"I cant walk around the ship like this..." She gestured to her short nightdress.

"I think you look perfectly fine." He shrugged. "But i'll take you to your room first to get changed." He took her hand and teleported her to her room. "I'll come back in ten minutes." with that, he left.

She pawed through the wardrobe and drawers looking for something -anything- she would feel comfortable wearing. Eventually, she found herself in a pair of black skin tight trousers, a short pink top similar in style to Kisshu's other than the fact that it was straps instead o the puff sleeves of his, and a black strapless top under it to hide her stomach. She put on a pair of black boots and the necklace Kisshu had given her. _Keep him happy _she told herself. She brushed her hair and by that time, Kisshu was in the room.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded and allowed herself to be led through corridors to the dining room where Pai and Taruto were eating across from two plates. She was surprised. They had made her breakfast?

"Have a nice sleep?" Taruto asked with a smirk, perfectly aware she had slept in Kisshu's bed.

"Very nice, thank you!" Kisshu draped an arm around Ichigo as he answered for her. Pai looked at them with a flash of accusation. She nudged Kisshu with her elbow but he just smirked then his face took on an expression of horror as she smirked back.

"I could've slept better if it weren't for-"

"Taruto's whining." Kisshu butted in.

"Yeah..." Ichigo sighed, then waited until Kisshu had put a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "And his giggling." Kisshu choked on his food as Taruto suddenly looked interested.

"Giggling? Kish giggles?" For a moment, Taruto and Ichigo were friends.

"Only in his slee-" Kisshu's hand clamped over Ichigo's mouth.

"Giggling, Kish? Really?"

"Not as bad as waking up in tears every time you have a nightmare!" Taruto flushed bright red.

"I do NOT cry! And I'll have you know they are terrifying!"

"Oh, sure, nightmares are always terrifying to kids!"

"I am not a kid!" Their argument continued all through breakfast as Ichigo listened, amused and ate.


	7. Chapter 7

Kisshu sat on Ichigo's bed as she looked around the room, fingers gliding along every surface, eyeing him uncertainly. He couldn't help but feel something was wrong. The usual spark in her eye, that attitude, was gone. He looked down at his knees. It was because he had captured her. Had forced her to come here. She must have felt helpless. If it were up to him, he'd have set her free, but it was Pai who wanted her here. To study her, take samples, then...No. He didn't let his mind dwell on that.

"I- " Kisshu attempted to form a sentence to properly explain himself, Ichigo looked at him with wide eyes. "Is there anything else you need?" At the last moment he gave up, internally slapping himself.

"I'm sure you wouldn't allow me to have what I want..." He brightened up, a chance to gain her trust. A chance to be helpful to her.

"I want to go home." As she said it, she looked at her feet. Kisshu's face fell.

"I'm sorry. I can't do that." A tear fell from her eye. "I'm sorry, if it was my choice, then of course I would..." She didn't seem to hear him so he stood and took a step towards her but froze as she took a step back. He sighed and walked towards the door.

"Kisshu, would you do something else for me instead?" He looked at her again and nodded. "Would you...would you tell me how long I'll be here for?"

"I don't know, Ichigo." More tears fell from her eyes. He strode towards her and stood a foot away from her, taking her hands in his. "Listen to me." He shut his eyes in disbelief at what he was doing. "Tonight at midnight, be ready. Take anything you like from the wardrobe and put it in a bag. I'll come for you and..." He sighed again. "Take you to cafe mew mew." Her eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Pai would kill you." She stated, looking up at him.

"Doesn't matter." He looked at her again, pure adoration in his eyes. "I'll do this for you. I've told you this many, many times, honey, but I love you." Then, he let go of her hands and walked away but just as he was shutting the door behind him, he heard a soft whisper that made his breathing hitch.

"I love you too." As the door shut, Ichigo sprang into action. She searched through the drawers and found a big black bag then looked through the wardrobe. A few items were actually kind of pretty, so she picked them out and put them in a bag, including a certain dress she had gasped at the sight of. It was dark red and reached the ground with a small train. It had a halter neck bodice with black crystals littering the edges and the back was completely cut out. She folded the delicate satin gently and placed it in the bag, then she went to the bathroom and took a toothbrush, toothpaste and hairbrush. She wasn't sure if they'd be going straight to cafe mew mew or somewhere else first to hide for a while, so she took the essentials. Next, she put the bag under the bed and lay down.

~Meanwhile~

The mew mews and their two bosses sat around a computer where masha was plugged in, watching in horror as Ichigo and Kisshu teleported away to who knows where.

"What do we do?" Lettuce asked, her voice muffled by her hand against her face stifling her sobs.

"We wait. Theres nothing else we can do. We wait until the aliens attack, we capture them and force them to tell us where she is, then, we get rid of them. Permanently." Ryou spat out his plan, growling slightly.


	8. Chapter 8

When Kisshu stepped into her room that night, Ichigo had to do a double take. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a dark emerald t-shirt with a simple black hat covering the top of his ears, he looked almost human to the unscrutinizing eyes.

"Ready?" He whispered. She picked up her bag and nodded, letting him take her hand as he teleported. A few seconds and some head rush later and they were at the door of cafe mew mew.

"I didnt want to just teleport you home so your parents wouldnt find out, so..." She nodded as he let go of her hand.

"Kisshu, what are you going to do?" She asked in a surprisingly worried tone. "If Pai finds out, you're dead!"

"Don't worry, Kitten." he gave a halfhearted smile. "I'll be fine." He began fating upwards only to be stopped when a small hand grabbed his suddenly.

"No. If anything, one good turn deserves another. You have saved me, so I will save you. Stay with me. All we need to do is explain to the mews."

"Somehow I doubt they will be as accepting as you hope."

"It doesn't matter. I will not let you die. You've no choice in the matter but to trust me."

"You, my dear, are ridiculously difficult." He smiled sadly. "And as I've no other option, we may as well get this over with." Ichigo gave his hand a tight squeeze before pushing the door open to reveal four girls mopping the floors while Ryou and Keiichiro stared at a laptop.

"Ichigo...?" Lettuce gasped out.

"Look, before anyone says a thing; yes, this is Kisshu. He just saved me. See, the aliens captured me and started doing some wierd tests but then Kisshu saved me and now here we are and now he'sgunnastaywithme,'kay,bye." without giving them a moment to process everything, Ichigo fled from the cafe, dragging Kisshu behind her as they laughed wildly as they ran the route towards Ichigo's house.

People stared at them, Ichigo noted the different sorts of reactions she got, an old couple had smiled as they ran past, while a lone woman had sneered, it didn't matter. All that mattered was explaining to her parents. They came to a stop at her front door.

"Okay, listen, kep the hat on until I say you can take it off. This is going to be incredibly difficult to explain considering they don't even know I'm a mew mew." Kisshu's eyes widened slightly. "I can see my mother eventually accepting everything, my dad, however...he's going to take some convincing."

"I really cannot put into words how thankful I am to you for this." He still held her hand. She shook her head then let go of his hand to lift the welcome mat where the extra key was then unlocked the door and stepped in, guiding a nervous Kisshu inside then locking the door.

"Ichigo! Where were you?! Have you any idea how worried we were?! You're father drove around like a mad man looking for you! And- And who is this?" Her shoulders were let go of as her mother's attention was diverted to Kisshu.

"That is one of the few things I have to explain. Where's dad?"

"Driving like a mad man looking for you." Her expression was stern and angry.

"You should probably call him. He needs to know this too."


End file.
